House Democrats want clean debt limit bill

House Democrats have a message: They want to see a clean debt ceiling bill come up for a vote.

Still weeks away from hitting the ceiling but possibly days away from a House vote, the Democratic leadership had harsh words for Republicans, who are considering attaching a one-year delay of the individual mandate to the hike.

The California Democrat said Republicans should realize that delaying the debt ceiling hike and pushing the country to default on its debt carries economic risks much like those at play when Congress considered TARP.

“We stepped up to the plate for this Republican president [George W. Bush],” she said. “It was not a vote our members wanted to take.”

Instead, Pelosi said some Republicans are taking their anti-government stance to the extreme by both not supporting the TARP programor raising the debt ceiling.

“When the walls came crumbling down, they didn’t believe in intervention,” she said.

Pelosi also said for future debt ceiling increases, should Democrats control the House under a Republican president, she would be willing to take negotiations on the debt ceiling off the table.

“I would be willing to say: don’t mess with the debt limit,” she said.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said he doesn’t think the Republican leadership will allow a vote on a clean debt ceiling hike because while it would lack the support of a majority of Republicans, it will still pass.

“There are at least 30 responsible Republicans and I think that’s the sadness of it,” Hoyer said.

Rep. James Clyburn, the No. 3 in the Democratic caucus, echoed those sentiments, returning to the TARP vote to point out that his party gave more votes than were requested after the Republcians failed to.

“Every time we have been asked by any president, whether it was our party or the other party, we have stepped up to do what is necessary to keep this country moving forward,” Clyburn said.

Pelosi also responded to criticism that President Barack Obama’s refusal to negotiate on the debt ceiling is part of the problem plaguing the federal government’s inability to get anything done.

Pelosi said Obama has tried more than once to negotiate with Republicans to no avail.

“He’s really saying we’ve taken it to the point where there is no use to talk anymore and we just have to act,” she said.